Lift plug valve



Feb. 10, 1953 I F, H|NR|CHS 2,628,059

LIFT PLUG VALVE Filed March 6, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

BY 77 M//lf'm broken.

Patented Feb. 1953 LIFT PLUG VALVE Ferdinand Hinrichs, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Tri-Clover Machine Co., Kenosha., Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 6, 1947, Serial No. 732,809 I 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in lift plug valves.

Plug valves, employing a tapered valve member rotatable in a tapered bore, are commonly employed to control the flow of liquid through a conduit. This type of valve has many desirable features, but is nevertheless objectionable in that the valve member frequently becomes stuck in the tapered bore, and the use of a hammer or other pounding tool is often required to loosen the plug and lift it from its seat, and such pounding is sometimes done so carelessly that parts are Heretofore, various devices have been proposed for dislodging the plug to permit rotation thereof, but these devices have either embodied too many parts to be practical or have embodied interior threading, shoulders or recesses located in objectionable places whereby cleaning of the parts is rendered difficult or impossible. When plug valves are employed in pa-steurizing equipment or in other apparatus where a high degree of sanitation is required and where the valves must be taken apart daily for cleaning, quick assembly and disassembly is essential and it is also essential that all of the valve parts be so constructed that every portion thereof is easili7 accessible for scrubbing. Furthermore, the fewer the number of parts the less the time that is required for taking down, cleaning, and reassembling.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lift plug valve having a minimum number of parts which are so arranged and constructed that the valve may be quickly assembled and disassembled, each part being so formed that thorough cleaning is a simple matter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve as above described including novel means for forcibly moving the plug a short distance in an axial direction so as to force it out of seated condition when it becomes stuck.

A further object of the invention is to provide rotates whenever the operating handle is turned.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lift plug valve as above described 2 wherein rocking movement of a single operating handle in one direction or another prior to rotating movement thereof serves to loosen the valve inits seat.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lift plug valve wherein the operating handle is removably connected to the projecting stem portion of the valve member by a spring clip, the parts being so' constructed that a simple manipulation of the clip serves to releasably lock the handle in assembled position.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a lift plug valve as above described wherein the lower end of the plug has a depending stem with a threaded outer end portion for receiving a nut, there being yielding means inwardly of the nut and surrounding said stem for normally urging the plug into seated condition.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved lift plug valve, and all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve, with most of the plug member and part of the handle shown in full, the dot and dash lines indicating rocked positions of the handle;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--5 of Fig. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 5 designates a valve body having a longitudinal bore 'I and having a transverse tapered bore 3 intersecting the longitudinal bore 'I. A valve member or plug 9 i-s seated in the tapered bore 8 and provided with the usual bore I0 which is adapted to be brought into or out of alinement of the bore l' of the body when the plug is rotated.

The upper end of the plug has a stem II projecting upwardly from the center thereof. The stem is adapted to extend rotatably through a circular opening I2 in a cover plate I3. The portion of the stem which projects above the cover plate has a transverse bore I4.

A handle member I5 has its inner end of inverted cup-shape as at I6, said cup-shaped porview taken the -dot and dash line position A of Fig. l.

tion having a cavity Il therein which loosely receives the projecting end of the stem II. The rim I8 of the cup-shaped portion is preferably rounded as illustrated. When this rim rests on the top surface of the cover plate I3, as in the full line position of Fig. 1, and when the parts are assembled, the cavity I'I provides substantial clearance above the upper Vend of the stem II as at I9 and provides annular clearance around the stem as at 20. This clearance allows for the rocking movement shown by the dot and dash lines.

The side walls of the cup-shaped portion I?, are oppositely apertured as at 2l, the latter apertures being adapted to aline with the bore I. of the stem I I when the parts are in the assembled position.

A clip 22, formed of sturdy wire, has a pintle portion 23 which is readily insertible through the alined openings 2i and I4 when the clip is in The clip in-cludes a side portion 2d bent at right angles to the pintle portion 23, a top portion 25 bent at right angles to the portion 2li and parallel to the pintle portion 23, and an angularly bent retaining end 2. The distance between the pintle portion 23 and the top portion 25 oi the clip is such that when the clip is pivoted from the position A to the position B, it has to be forced to snap over the rounded corner 2l of the handle. There is just enough give in the clip to permit this to take place with a minimum of effort. On the other hand, the clip is sumciently rigid that it will not be accidentally displaced from the position B back to the position A during use. After the clip is in the position B it is normaliy swung up to the full line position during use. The downwardly bent terminal end 2d is sufriciently long to slightly overhang a side or" the cup-shaped portion I6 and prevent lateral displacement of the clip.

Projecting concentrically from the lower end of the plug is a bottom stem portion 2S which preferably formed with a flat side 22. Below the stem portion 23 is an externally threaded portion 3d of reduced diameter for receiving an adjustment nut 3l. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the adjustment nut acts against Y the lower faceoi a washer32, and the latter has -an opening 33 which is shaped to lit the attened cross-section oi the stem 2S. Thus, the washer will rotate with the stem.

In order to constantly urge the plug into seated position1 yielding means is employed around the stem portion 2S. This yielding means is so arranged as to constantly urge the plug into seated condition. In the preferred form of the invention this yielding means takes the form of a yielding concavo-convex disc S having a central opening 35 through which the stem portion 23 rotatably extends. The periphery of the disc 3i seats against the annular end 36 at the bottom of the valve body. When the nut 3i is suitably adjusted to compress the disc Sli somewhat, the disc will tend to return to its normal concavoconvex form and will thus act against the inner face of the washer 32 to constantly urge the plug 9 into seated condition. The disc also provides a bottom closure for the valve body. Other equivalent arrangements may be employed at the lower end of the valve plug, such as those illustrated in copending application of Thomas Geary, Serial No. 732,708, led March ,6, 1947, and now abandoned, and copending application of Walter Ebert. Serial No. 732,706, led March 6, 1947, and which matured to Patent No. 2,529,544 on November 14, 1950.

In use of the improved valve, assuming that the valve is in the open position of Fig. 1 and that it is desired to close it, it is merely necessary to manipulate the single handle I5. Depending upon which movement is more convenient for the operator, the handle is rocked either downwardly to the dot and dash line position C, or upwardly to the dot and dash line position D to cause a forcible movement of the plug a short distance in an axial direction to lift it out of seated condition if it has become stuck. During such rocking movement one side or the other of the rim I8 of the cup-shaped handle portion I5 bears against the upper surface of the cover plate I3 so that a lifting movement is imparted to the stem I I through the medium of the pintle portion 23 of the clip 22. The amount of lift which is possible may be controlled by the amount of clearance between the top of the plug 9 and bottom of the cover plate I3. Where leakage when the valve is unseated is a problem,such leakage can be held down to a minimum by limiting the clearance above the plug 9 to an amount just sufficient for seal-breaking purposes. After the seal has been broken, the handle is rotated to bring the plug to a clasing position. During such rotation oi the valve member the washer 32 and nut 3i will rotate with the plug 9, the washer having a sliding engagement with the lower face of the disc Sli. Due to the squared rit of the washer on the stem 28 there will be no tendency to loosen the nut 3| during such rotation. During such rotation the handle I5 will rotate with the plug 9, and the plate I3 will remain stationary because the coeiicient of friction between the plate I3 and the body 6 is greater than the coeilicient of friction between the rim I8 of the handle and the top of the plate I3.

As soon as the handle I5 is released, the yielding disc 3d will pull the plug back to seated condition and the handle will automatically rock to the intermediate full line position.

With the above construction, the same handle which is used for valve rotation is employed for breaking the seal. The construction has been so worked out that there is a minimum number of parts. Furthermore, each part is so constructed that it can be thoroughly cleaned without diinculty. Complete disassembly of the valve can be quickly accomplished by snapping the clip 22 downwardly from the full line position of Fig. l past the rounded corner 2l' to the dot and dash line position A, by then withdrawing the pintle in a lateral direction, and by removing the nut 3 I.

Although only one form of the invention has been illustrated, it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a valve having a valve body provided with a tapered bore and having a ported tapered plug, an actuating mechanism comprising: a cover having an opening, a stem slidable in said opening, said cover having an annular upper surface portion around said opening; a handle normally disposed at a right angle with respect to said stem and having a depending rim portion at its inner end adjacent the projecting end of the stem and rotatable over said annular surface portion of the cover; and a pivot member extending diametrically through said stem and pivotally connecting the inner end of the handle to the projecting end portion of said stem for rocking movement on the axis of said pivot member, part of said depending rim portion being positioned for fulcruming engagement with a part of the flat annular upper surface portion of the cover on one side of the axis of the stem Vand part being positioned for fulcruming engagement on the other side of the said axis whereby the handle may be rocked on said pivot member in either of two directions away from a normal position at right angles to the valve stem to impart axial upward movement to the stem.

2. In a valve having a valve body provided with a tapered bore and having a ported tapered plug, an actuating mechanism comprising: a

cover having an opening, a stem slidable in said opening, said cover having an annular upper surface portion around said opening; a handle normally disposed at a right angle with respect to said stem and having an inverted cup-shaped portion at its inner end embracing the projecting end of the stem, said cup-shaped portion having an annular lower edge extending in substantially a single plane which is normaly at a right angle with respect to said stem, said cupshaped portion being rotatable over said annular surface portion of the cover as said handle is rotated; and a pivot member extending diametrically through said stem and cup-shaped handle portion to pivotally connect the inner end of the handle to the projecting end portion of said stem for rocking movement on the axis of said pivot member, whereby the stem is rotated upon rotation of said handle, diametrically opposite parts of said annular lower edge portion being alternatively engageable with parts of the at annular upper surface portion ofthe cover on either of two diametrically opposite sides of the stem when the handle is rocked on said pivot member away from its normal position at right angles to the stem to thereby impart axial upward movement to the stem.

y FERDINAND HINRICHS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 502,972 Kelley Aug. 8, 1893 1,024,094 Mueller Apr. 23, 1912 1,807,970 Davis June 2, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 88,855 Sweden Jan. 21, Y1937 444,772 Germany May 25, 1927 898,484 France Apr. 24, 1945 

